Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tony Rezko Sentence: 10 1/2 Years

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's advisor, Tony Rezko, was sentenced today. Rezko, the former Obama confidante, was charged with extorting millions of dollars. This comes as Rezko was already waiting in prison. He will be sentenced to 10 1/2 years in jail, with time served.

His family still supports him:

Several family members called out 'we love you" to Rezko as he was led away.

"That's what an honest man deserves in this country!" one relative shouted outside the courtroom.

When others tried to quiet her, she said: "I don't care, put me in with him!"

But it looks like he deserved it:

Rezko was convicted by a federal jury of extorting millions of dollars from firms seeking state business or regulatory approval while he was a Blagojevich confidant. More than two years later, in October 2010, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud over the bogus sale of his pizza restaurants. He still faces sentencing for that conviction as well.

Rezko's lawyers have argued that the harsh conditions he endured since his incarceration have been unprecedented for a white-collar defendant and are a key reason why he should not spend any more time behind bars. While at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago and a jail in Dodge County, Wis., Rezko was often allowed just one hour a day outside his cell, had meals pushed through a slot and was not able to breathe fresh air or see sunlight, they have said.